


Worth Fighting For

by MissWhip



Category: 2010 - Fandom, Alice in Wonderland - Fandom
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-06
Updated: 2010-08-06
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissWhip/pseuds/MissWhip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Response to an AiW Kink Meme. Alice has her and the Hatter's child. See exposition chapter description for more details! Please read and review!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Exposition

**Author's Note:**

> Author: Drakelah

Author: Drakelah

For: AiW Kink Meme (Described Below)

Alice/Tarrant - Alice is 9 months pregnant with Tarrant's baby, and she goes into labor and gives birth with him by her side. The longer and more graphic the birth scene is, the better. Maybe Mirana is there to be the midwife? Fluff and a happy ending is preferable.

Title: Worth Fighting For

Rating: M, this is mostly for readers who have no experience with childbirth; readers who do might consider this a "T" story.

Want to join in the fun? Find it at the link below, mature readers only! (Remember to remove the spaces)

http:/ community . livejournal . com/2010_alice_kink/

* * *

Part 1: Exposition

Alice wished she was just nervous. Terrified was a better word for it. She was so impossibly tiny after all, thin and petite. For the last few months, ever since she had begun to show, she had watched her belly swell and extend. It scared her, even though she awaited the new arrival with joy and baited breath.

Her husband, the rather mad Hatter, was all excitement. Tarrant spent all this free time creating tiny outfits and bonnets for the new baby. He made equal amounts for a boy or a girl, since they didn't know which it was yet. In all honesty, Tarrant couldn't care less what the gender was, his scattered mind simply focused on that one though, "He was going to be a father."

When Alice had returned to Underland for the third time, he mused that she had come for a visit, short and sweet. It started subtlety, with smiles and winks, an innocent touch of the hand; until a gentle understanding was reached.

It was not long before he stole a kiss between cups of tea. That one kiss had made her feel as lit up as a storm sky struck with electricity.

Liars are the only ones who say, "Lightning never strikes the same place, twice."

Hands wandered while lips remained in a tentative embrace. Growing passions would not be contained and they continued until more was undone that the few simple ties on the back of her dress.

Until, one night, the summer breezes slid over their burning skin, creating chills with every bead of sweat they touched, as they lay upon the tea table. Exposed and unashamed under the glittering stars, they relaxed with the shattered porcelain of kettle and tea cups littering the ground around them.

Right before she had just been about to fall asleep, she'd heard him ask her something. The kind of something that brought her half-lidded eyes fully awake. And she agreed to it in a heartbeat.

Two months of preparation went by, for even with the help of the White Queen these things take time, and all was ready. She knew. She knew as she walked up to meet him, as they traded promises, as they celebrated long into the night. No one even noticed her abstaining from certain beverages, not even him. It was her secret, one she kept until after they had made love that night.

He was overjoyed.

Seven months later, they had come a long was from their humble beginnings; residing in the palace of the White Queen as the royal hatter and a lady of the court. It suited Tarrant and Mirana to have Alice at Marmoreal, close to the best care one could receive. Alice would have infinitely preferred to be back at home, in the cottage she shared with her husband in the outer lands of the kingdom. Next to a particularly special group of friends and a tea table with rather fond memories attached to it.

If Mally or Thackery ever found out what had happened there, they might never wish to take tea at that table again.

Here is was though, to appease her husband and best friend, she tried to make due of her time at the castle. There were some areas at which she drew the line, such as when Mirana had requested that she take up bed-rest. Absolutely not, thank you very much.

Alice walked out into the gardens of the White Queen's palace. They were extensive, to say the least. She'd had a rather difficult night, and over the last couple of weeks, as her days became longer and more uncomfortable, the gardens were immensely helpful.

She walked slowly, both hands on her large stomach as if she were already holding the child. The fragrance of cherry blossoms and lilies drifted through the air, indeed those scents seemed to be the only ones at Marmoreal and they permeated the castle itself.

It wasn't until she was a bit further out from the grounds than she realized that she felt a rather strange sensation. The tightening in her stomach recently had been attributed to her being so close to her due date, but now…

When the first one officially struck her body, she didn't know what to do. Alice grabbed onto a nearby tree and held onto its branches. As she did so, she caused the weaker blossoms to fall down around her in a strange snowfall of petals. If she hadn't been in pain, she would've though on how lovely it was.

As the pain let up, so did her hands and she began to walk as fast as she could back towards the palace. She knew so little about what to expect, she just wanted the safety and comfort of her own bed.

There was a fountain of white marble in the middle of the garden. If she could just make it there before the pains came back, she could sit upon the edge and wait out the ordeal. It was coming back; she could feel it and she rushed.

Just barely did she make it. Her hands gripped the cold stone as she fought another one. Ironically, she was concerned about falling backwards into the water moreso than her current condition.

"_The funny things you focus upon at such a moment_," She thought, before she realized how close she now was to the castle. Though the pain hadn't ended yet, she tried to call out. It was only a tiny little squeak of "Help!"

In the Underland though, you never know who is listening.

"Hello love." A very familiar voice reached out to her.

"Chessur?" It was a grateful exhale.

He appeared, "You look like you're in a bit of distress."

Her eyes widened, "Just a little."

"Do you want me to get the guards?"

"Yes please!"

The cat normally didn't get involved in such things, but he did have a bit of guilt attached to him with regards to the Hatter. Not to mention his sheer curiosity at getting to see the first member of the Hightopp clan to be born in years.

She sat there, taking slow measured breaths. Her mind played every awful scenario she could remember. The birth of her nephew had been traumatic on her sister. Alice remembered having to sit downstairs and practice the pianoforte at her mother's request. Even that loud, steady sound could not drown out the anguished cries from the upstairs. Minutes and hours ticked by with not a single piece of information; she'd had to press her ear to the door to get word. It was always the same worry that the child was too large and if things did not progress, her sister could be dead by the end of the day.

The woman down the road had died, Alice recalled. Both she and the infant had perished after nearly two days of laboring. Margaret had been lucky, and while she had never really told Alice what happened, she'd mentioned that her little son had been worth everything she'd gone through.

As the very real threat of death played upon her mind, she wished that she had pressed her sister for more information. She was smaller than Margaret in her own size, but as large in the size of the child. So terrified became her thoughts that she didn't notice the guard and the handmaid running up to her.

"My lady? Are you alright?" The handmaid knelt down next to her, placing a gentle hand upon her knee.

She could scarcely believe all the improper questions she was receiving recently; closing her eyes, she responded, "I think it's time."

The maid nodded and the guard with the head of a chessboard knight simply leaned over and plucked the woman from her seat on the fountain ledge. They hurried back to the palace, with the guard trying to avoid any jostling of his charge. Hurrying off to find the midwife, for there was only one in the kingdom, the maid left Alice to be carried up to her bedroom.

Unfortunately for her, she was noticed by the other staff, and before too long, the news had spread over the entire household.

Mirana was informed by her personal servant while she cooked up a batch of Upelkuchen cakes and brewed a good vial of Pishalver. "Will you finish this formula for me please?" Before the maid could even reply, the White Queen had flitted out through the door. Her perfect little pearl adorned shoes hurried down the hall until she reached a rather heavy wooden door. She promptly forgot to knock.

Tarrant looked up from his milliner's work, "Oh!" He gathered up the hat he'd been working on and dashed around to the other side of the table.

"I have a new hat for you! It's a gift for letting us stay here. It's white, of course, with white feathers, white pearls, and some white jewels although those are quite rare to – "

"Hatter!" Mirana took the elaborate hat from his hands and set it gently upon the table, "It's time."

"But the hat isn't ready yet!"

"No," She looked at him with patient eyes, "Alice's time."

His face was a mask of confusion at first, before becoming a mix of joy and utter fear, "What should I do?"

"I think it's best if you go to your wife."

He started to leave, but stopped, "She told me that men weren't allowed to be with their wives in her world." The disappointment in his face was considerable.

"This is Underland though," Mirana reached up and took his face in her hands, "I want you to put it in your mind to be there for her. She may be our champion, but she needs you now more than ever."

Tarrant allowed the idea to sink into his mind where he could focus on it fully before he nodded his understanding, "I will."

"Come on then, we mustn't leave her by herself any longer."


	2. Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 4: Water

Part 2 of 4: Water

Please read and review! They help me to know if I'm on the right track with this!

If you're so inclined, I have another story, "Return to Wonderland" that you can check out... shameless, I know!

* * *

The guard set her down carefully on her bed. As she sank a bit into the comfortable sheets, she thanked whatever powers that be to be back in her own room.

Finding herself on her back though, she had to quickly turn to lie upon her side as the next pain hit her. This one took her a bit by surprise and her little hands clutched the bedspread while she waited for it to pass. It was stronger than the last two, and while it may have lasted only a minute, it seemed much longer.

Alice fancied herself to be no timid girl, propped up by her "muchness" and the Champion mantle that hung upon her. Pain such as this though, was not the kind that she could simply slay and be done with, and she had the nagging feeling that it was something she would have to work through. As with the Jabberwocky, she wondered if she could really do it.

There were worried voices in the hallway, two of which she was sure she knew and they could not have sounded more sweet to her ears.

Looking up, she observed her husband, Mirana, the midwife, and a handmaid named Aiudala entering the room.

Tarrant was at her side in seconds, kneeling next to the bed and staring into her eyes. Part of her thought she saw the same resolve in his face that they had seen marching into battle.

"How are you?"

"It hurts." She whispered back to him, and he extended his hand to her. For a moment, they held each others' hands without the interference of anything. His green eyes shifted color at will, reflecting golds and amber hues that she hadn't truly seen yet.

"It'll be alright." He tried to reassure her, "Mirana and the midwife will help you."

She smiled, and with half her face buried in the pillow, he thought it was a lovely thing to see, "I'm glad."

"I remember what you said about your world," He whispered, "Should I stay?"

"Don't you dare leave me." Her grip on his hand tightened suddenly and he took it as her literally holding onto him. It was only when her eyes closed and her breathing constricted did he realize she was in pain.

Panic set upon him, "Alice?"

The midwife stepped forward, "You're doing fine." Her voice was low, encouraging. She was not an old woman, maybe in her middle years if not a little beyond. Something in her reminded Alice of her own mother.

With experienced hands, the elder woman patted Alice's cheek. She sat down on an empty part of the bed and worked at brushing the young woman's hair back from her flushed skin. Caressing her face as a mother would to an ill child; she was gentle with her young charge. The midwife thought that the girl could not have been more than three and twenty years old.

"You need to breathe, even though it hurts. You'll get tired very fast if you hold your breath, dear."

"I can't help it."

"Yes you can. Try."

Her grip tightened on the Hatter's hand and she drew small short breaths, exhaling them nearly as fast. The pain ended and she drew in a long gasp of air.

Smiling, the midwife nodded, "There you go. Now, try to breathe normally between contractions. Slow and measured."

Still standing close to the door, Mirana sent the handmaid to draw a warm bath. The White Queen, hands raised so perfectly, went to see her Champion. She took the hand not held by Tarrant and placed her other one upon Alice's stomach.

With her consistent good nature she asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm afraid not," Responded Alice, giving a small smile to her monarch friend, "You don't happen to have a potion for the pain, do you?"

"I am afraid I don't." Mirana gazed out the window as she admitted that defeat, "Just think on a pleasant thought. When this is all over, you'll have a little baby."

"I wish I already had the baby." Complained Alice, and she released both their hands, "I feel like I want to walk around a bit."

"Are you sure?" Hatter asked. She nodded and he helped her up from the bed. He would not allow her to let go of him, and truthfully, she did not trust herself to, lest she fall in her pains. With slow and steady steps, Alice walked around the outside of the room with her husband at her side.

Her instincts told her to keep moving and so she did, but she was not yet halfway into another walk when she felt a new strange sensation.

"Alice, you're leaking!" Tarrant said with no small amount of concern, looking down at the floor.

She realized that the sensation had been the trickle of water down her legs. The fluid was beginning to pool at her feet, not too quickly, but enough to cause her alarm. Her frightened eyes sought out the midwife who was standing in the center of the room.

The woman put up her hands, "It's alright, and that's supposed to happen. Your labor may even be quicker now."

"Really?"

"Well, there are no guarantees."

The younger woman sighed and rubbed her belly with her free hand. Under her own palm, she could feel it. Again it came, and he held onto her as she contracted, leaning forward slightly. This time, the midwife heard a distinct moan come from her lips and she looked over at Mirana. The White Queen nodded back at her.

"Why don't you try a nice warm bath?"

She looked at her husband; he nodded vigorously at her, his green eyes looked slightly crazed. That was just how she preferred them. Tarrant practically carried her into the room's bath suite.

Arranging the room was the handmaid, keeping the water warm and laying out towels. She gave a hurried curtsey and rushed from the room, closing the door behind her.

Alone in the room, husband and wife regarded one another. He took the opportunity to kiss her forehead and then her lips. With free hands, she held onto him as he did so.

His own hands trembling slightly, Tarrant undid the dress that his wife wore, it was improper for their current state of being anyway, not to mention the bath. The fabric slid from her shoulders, and he helped to pull it over her swollen form.

Alice had always given him a new appreciation for the nude form every time she was in front of him. Even now, he saw the blush spread over her skin, creating a rosy hue.

"Sometimes, I think I'm too large these days."

"Nonsense! You're the right proper Alice size! It doesn't matter to me if you're too tall or too short, or too large or too small or – "

"Hatter!" She hugged him.

"I'm fine." Back to his senses, he helped her into the bath.

Alice gratefully sank into the water, feeling the weightlessness it allowed, the soft heat soothing her aching form. She allowed her head to rest on the edge of the tub while she relaxed. He sat next to her on the floor, doing the only thing he could at the moment.

He watched and waited.


	3. Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3: Hands (Part 3 of 4)

Part 3: Hands (Part 3 of 4)

In response to a PM I got, the actual birth will occur in part 4.

That doesn't mean that I don't still want some reviews though… please?

If any "Return to Wonderland" readers are here, I'm sorry for the delay, but I will be back to that story soon. I just couldn't resist this prompt!

* * *

While the warm water of the bath may have been comforting, eventually Alice found that it no longer suited her. Her husband helped to dress her in a comfortable white robe, one of the more common clothing items available in the palace at Marmoreal.

Back to the bed it was then, to labor indefinitely. Lying on her side, Alice's long blond curls fell over her face and she did not care enough to move them. Only a single eye was exposed to the world.

She lost track of the time, and so did he. Her pains kept coming, though they were never any closer or further apart. If she was lucky, they were less than a full minute, but more often than not, she suffered for the full time. In this fashion, hours passed.

Ironically, the only one who was able to pass the time was the handmaid. Aiudala wandered about the room, cleaning, organizing, and then reorganizing. Mirana followed her with her eyes as she sat next to the midwife. The midwife yawned, drawing a surprised look from the queen.

Shrugging the woman sighed, "I'm a bit out of practice. It's been years since we had a baby born here in Underland. Ever since – "But she stopped as her eyes landed on the form of the Hatter, "Perhaps it's best to focus on the new."

Alice was changing in a few ways that were very encouraging to the midwife though. The young woman had begun to focus on her contractions, she was less interested in her surroundings and she reserved conversing for essential dialogue.

A rare response had been received when the midwife had observed that it was beneficial for her contractions to be getting more and more intense. Alice had quite flatly disagreed.

The White Queen looked over at the midwife with a questioning glance and the elder woman merely responded, "It's up to the child now."

Perhaps the very definition of loyal, Tarrant lay on the bed next to her facing her back. He rubbed her stomach when she was out of pain and gave her a comforting hand to hold when they struck her.

Alice had never been fond of being touched. All those years of having to hold the sweaty hands of boorish lords, or being tugged around by her upper arms had put her off of it. There was only one person who she permitted to touch her, even encouraged it, and that was the Hatter. Most people in complete control of their faculties would have some reservations concerning showing off hands that were so badly abused by milliner's work. As such, he didn't know and she had no intention of telling him.

In her own mind, she was focused on two things. Her pain and her husband. She could feel his breath on her neck, his hands on her belly. The thimbles and bandages on his hands were almost cool on her burning skin.

He understood that she did not have the will to talk to him at the moment, but that did not keep him silent. Tarrant cuddled close to his wife and whispered into her ear. There was no story he did not tell her. He told her of his own childhood in Witzend, his parents, his siblings. He related more about the day that he'd lost all of them to the Jabberwocky, and the day that he gained her first as a young friend at only seven years old. Hats he had made for the White Queen and the best strategies for killing time in preparations for the return of his Alice.

When the latest and particularly painful spasm hit her, she moaned loudly and mumbled something about being exceptionally tired.

This time, he related the story of their first night together, with wanton behavior on the tea table, the very same night that had brought them to this moment in time. Neither of them had expected it, but she didn't have any regrets, even in her pain.

"Hatter?" Her voice, exhausted, came to him.

"Yes?"

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"I haven't the slightest idea."

Though no one could see it, she smiled. Suddenly, she felt the need to move and she sat up.

"Is everything okay?" Asked the midwife, taking notice of the sudden movement.

"I just wanted to sit up," She responded, "My back hurts."

Raising a hand in the air, the Hatter sat up as well, "I have an idea." He put his skilled hands to work on Alice's back, massaging every inch of available flesh he could.

She moaned in both pain and pleasure as another contraction hit her. Alice had tried to count how long they lasted, but this time, she couldn't keep up. It seemed to go on forever. Her skin trembled and a cold chill ran over her.

Not two minutes after the first one ceased, there was another. The intensity resulted in a small cry of pain.

"Alice?" The midwife walked over to her, putting a hand on her cheek, "How do you feel?"

"I feel cold and hot at the same time."

She nodded, "Could you lay back for me?"

Alice complied and the midwife laid her hands at the bottom of her belly, on her hips. For a moment she simply felt before she gave a smile, "You're almost there, dear, you'll be ready to push soon."

"Push?" Asked the younger woman with some fear in her voice.

"Yes, your body will know what to do."

Alice leaned back upon the pillows for a moment, considering exactly what she'd gotten herself into, "Too late now."


	4. Welcome to Wondrous Underland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 4 of 4: Welcome to Wondrous Underland

Part 4 of 4: Welcome to Wondrous Underland

Warning: The chapter details an extended birth scene, reader discretion is advised.

I tried to make this seem realistic, I hope it worked! This is the first chapter of all my stories, ever, that I've been nervous about posting.

If you like, please review! I do so love reviews!

* * *

Mirana wondered to herself if she felt more appreciative that she was not enduring as her friend was, or if she was secretly jealous. There was no White King to speak of, so she lacked the option, but would she prefer to be in such pain?

Nearly an hour ago, the Champion of Underland had entered the second to last stage of her labors. The midwife had been keeping all the others informed of the progress. Both the handmaid and the queen had indicated an interest in learning the skill of being a learned attendant to a birth.

Only half an hour prior had the queen ordered the windows to be opened, believing that the fresh air would help the laboring mother and cool her skin considerably. There had been some comfort, but as long as the pains held up, Alice would not be getting the relief she so desired.

She moved back and forth on the bed, shifting her body as much as she reasonably could. With one such movement, she felt herself grow a bit nauseous and was forced to lie upon her back until it passed.

"I cannot do this!" Was her exasperated cry, running her own hands through her hair.

Tarrant had been sitting on the edge of the bed, finding it easier to accommodate her current state if he took up as little space on the bed as possible. He looked positively astounded at her proclamation, "Of course you can!"

"Hatter!"

"But you're not just my Alice, you're thee Alice! There's nothing you can't do! You found Underland, defeated the Red Queen, returned the White Queen to power, you slayed the Jabberwocky – "

"This is infinitely more difficult than slaying the Jabberwocky!"

He was silent again, having not considered this. So caught up he had been in the event itself that it had not occurred to him that she could be in enough pain, be fearful enough, to actually believe she would fail. How could she ever fail?

The White Queen walked over to him and whispered so that his wife could not hear, "Remember what I told you, she just needs you to be here for her."

"I – I – I – " He stammered out his confusion and Mirana simply patted his shoulder, "It will be alright."

All he could do was accept what she said, his eyes shifted from green to gold, then back to a nervous green. His lower lip trembled for a second before he resumed his spot on the edge of the bed.

Alice could feel her body changing; of course, it had been stretching and altering itself for the last nine months, but not in ways that she had felt before. This was different. Her hips were shifting in ways both painful and necessary; she couldn't quite tell which it was to her. Any concentration she might have had on that was delayed by the immense pressure that was currently in her back muscles.

"How do you feel, dear?" The midwife sat down at the end of the bed, her hands applying gentle pressure to Alice's stomach and hips, trying to guess where the child was.

"Terrible. My back is aching." She moaned.

"You're almost there." The midwife sorted through her satchel before she found a small vial. She tilted it, letting the oil onto her palms and pressed them together. Very gently, she rubbed the lotion onto Alice's thighs and stomach, letting the sweet perfumes and cooling sensation sink into her skin, "It's an old tradition."

"You can think of it this way. Once you have the first one, all the others should be easier."

"I'm not having any others!" Declared Alice, "I'm never doing this again!"

Smiling, the midwife continued her ministrations to her charges' aching legs with the oil, "You might feel differently once you see the child."

"Please don't tell me how I'll feel! I know perfectly well how I feel."

"Absolutely." She grinned and continued on, "You make the rules, dear."

Tarrant remembered the advice of the White Queen and didn't respond to his wife's intention of never producing any more children. It was simply not possible, he mused, for fortune alone was such a fickle woman, and surely Alice didn't wish for separate beds, did she? They were only just married!

He shook his head as if trying to shake those very thoughts out of his mind. How he wished that her eyes would change color to tell him when she was not in her right state of mind!

In all honestly, Alice didn't know how she did feel at the moment. Every part of her body came together with her pains and then broke apart when they ceased. She was connected to the world around her, and at the same time, very alone.

She was trying desperately to ignore the new urge that she felt; she didn't want to acknowledge it. Having neither slept nor ate for hours, she could not imagine that her body was demanding more of her. Everything about her was sick and sore, exhausted, and she only wanted a brief respite from all this torture. She knew why Margaret had cried for so long.

Indeed, she wanted to be able to cry out and wail against the situation she had been placed in.

This was not her though.

Cry she might, but she wouldn't give up. All the hell that she had been through, from her restrictive Victorian upbringing to monster slaying; she would not be cowed by such a natural process. Alice, Champion of Underland, was ready to fight for what she wanted.

As the contraction ended, she realized exactly what it was that she was that she had been feeling all through the last one.

Staring at the midwife with determination in her eyes, she said, "I feel like I need to push."

The midwife nodded at her, "That's what I was waiting to hear. You're ready."

Taking a blanket from the handmaid, she sat it upon the edge of the bed and bid Alice come to sit upon it, "You're going to be right here, and you –" She pointed to Tarrant, "You sit behind her. The birth will be easier if she is sitting up."

Hatter moved to sit behind his wife, embracing her with his arms underneath hers, ready to hold her up if needed. Alice leaned back against him, feeling his orange hair brush her cheek. From her position she fancied she could hear his heart beating even over the sound of her own blood pounding in her ears.

Mirana and Aiudala were called to take up positions on either side of Alice and assist her in any way possible; which, according to the midwife, may include either supporting her legs or getting their hands crushed by hers in that death grip.

Hatter was too conflicted by his own emotions to really articulate any thoughts, but he managed to kiss his Alice on her neck and hug her before the next pain set in.

The midwife knelt down, having no other option, and quickly checked the mother to see if her body was in the same way as her mind. She most certainly was.

"When you feel the next contraction, I want you to push with it. Let your body tell you what to do, trust it. Try not to exhaust yourself."

It started and the younger woman gave it her best effort. She held onto the edge of the bed in a tight grip and fought against nature itself. Her eyes tightly shut, she exhaled very slowly. The first effort would produce nothing to spur her onward though, and before too long, she had to relax.

The midwife patted her inner thigh, "That was wonderful for your first try, you're doing great!"

Even at her most pregnant, Alice was not terribly heavy and her husband held her up as best he could. He couldn't see any of the proceedings and did not know if he should be happy at that or not. Aiudala was paying attention to orders and was not terribly interested, but Mirana was observing the process with fascination. The White Queen was a curious creature herself.

"Ready to try again?"

"Yes."

"Alright, push!"

Alice did so, bearing down hard; her blond curls falling over her shoulders as she leaned forward. She could actually feel something this time, the child moving within her.

The midwife put her hand to the space just under Alice's belly and she smiled up at her, "Keep going if you can!"

In actuality, she could not though. The pain eased away from her as the contraction ceased and she was able to lean back on Tarrant.

"Just let your body relax, don't push again until you feel like you need to."

"Quite alright with me." Gasped Alice, breathing hard. For a moment she let her head fall back onto her husband's shoulder and noticed something odd, "Where's your hat?"

He gave her a playful smirk, "On the table, it felt as though that was the proper place for it."

"Oh." She rather breathed out her response as the muscles in her stomach tightened back up. Forcing herself back up, she waited for the urge to come again and focused in upon it. This time, she took the hands of her friend and helper. Alice could feel the child move just a touch more before she had to stop.

Unfazed, she let herself draw air for just a few seconds before she tried again.

"Excellent! Keeping going, keep going!" The encouragement did its trick and she pressed forward with her efforts.

As if the pain in her muscles was not enough, she began to feel another discomfort. There was the sensation of heat in her lower body, building towards something rather unpleasant.

Apparently, this indicated something to the midwife as well, and she stopped talking to check the progress of the child. Seizing the opportunity, Alice took a brief respite.

"I would like you to push one more time and then you can rest again."

Unknowing of what was coming next, she complied with the request. Feeling the child move downward, Alice became aware of a strong stinging sensation.

"Stop now, give yourself a moment." Ordered the midwife, holding up a hand.

"It feels like its burning!" Complained Alice.

"That's quite normal."

"I have to push again." Insisted the young mother.

"No!" This was a more forceful tone, "Give yourself a moment."

She could neither fight the pain in her, nor could she push again until the next contraction. Alice felt as though she was being tortured by forces outside her body now and she did not like the midwife so much at this moment.

The midwife was no fool, she knew exactly how Alice was feeling and she looked up at her with an encouraging smile, "The head is down now, I just want your body to adjust first. It will be easier on you this way."

"I hardly think any of this is easy." Not an entirely pleasant tone as the contraction ended, but at least she wasn't taking out her anger on anyone.

This rest was different. She felt herself regaining the strength that had felt sapped from her very bones as she readied herself for the oncoming pain.

Her next push was strong and it finally appeared to her that she was making progress. The midwife was excited, "I can see the head!"

Alice kept pushing and struggling as best she could, but she had to stop to breathe again.

"You're so close!"

Taking a few moments for herself, she rallied her strength and bore down again.

"Come on! You can do it!"

Mirana took a moment to peer down at what was currently happening to her friend and see if the child was any closer to entering the world. She gave a small gasp and put her free hand to her lips.

"What is it?" Asked the Hatter, holding onto his laboring wife.

"The child has your hair." Whispered the queen, as though she was relating a secret.

He gave a lopsided grin and simply hugged Alice tighter to him.

Alice had heard her though, and in that moment, she wanted more than ever to meet this child that already had her husband's unruly orange locks.

Another strong push would be the last. This time, she cried out at the pain that felt as though her body might break in two. She cried out her anger and frustration at being in pain for so long, and she cried out in her own joy at finally being at the end of her pregnancy.

The midwife caught infant in her waiting arms and pulled the child the rest of the way from its mother. She held the slippery infant to her as Aiudala hurried to retrieve the blankets that had been set aside for such a purpose.

Alice collapsed back into Tarrant's arms, allowing him to hold her to his chest. Everything seemed so very quiet to her now, the only sound she could hear was the gasping of her own breaths.

Suddenly, the silence in the air was pierced by a loud, lusty baby cry. Another cry could be heard soon after, and it took her a moment to realize it was her own. She laughed as tears came to her eyes and began to fall down her cheeks. Her entire body shook.

Hatter laughed as well, watching as the midwife cleaned the infant and quickly wrapped the child up to keep it warm. He brushed the sweat beaded hair from his wife's face and kissed her, "I love you, my Alice."

"I love you too." She sighed back against his lips, exhausted from the day, "It is a girl or a boy?"

He grinned at her, "It's a girl."

"How do you know?"

"I've always known!" He looked surprised, "I'd know her anywhere!"

The midwife walked back over to them, "Here's your daughter."

She laid the small bundle into Alice's arms. Wrapped in one of Mirana's white blankets, the little daughter was lightly crying and whining at her new surroundings.

The White Queen had not lied about the child's brilliantly orange hair. Alice continued crying as her fingers touched the soft strands.

Hatter extended a finger to touch the little closed fist that was so adorably small. When the child curled her hand around a thimble covered digit, she opened her eyes to look at them.

Both parents were a touch shocked when the saw her eyes. If possible, they were an even more bright green than her father's, and as they watched, the eyes changed to the hazel of Alice and then back to their more dominant green.

The world fell away from them as they stared at the tiny creature they had created. She meanwhile, looked back at them with the pure curiosity so befitting her.

"Welcome to Underland, sweetheart." Whispered Tarrant.

Alice kissed the top of her daughter's head, "You were worth everything."

* * *

Mirana walked through the halls of Marmoreal as the night stretched forward ahead of her. Though she had not done much herself that day, she still could not sleep not matter how much she tried to.

Having ordered the new parents to be given whatever they requested, as well as privacy, she was loathe to check in upon them herself.

"Your majesty?" A light mist was upon the air.

"Chesire?"

He appeared and allowed his grin to stretch across his face, "I suppose you cannot sleep either."

"I'm afraid not."

"I looked in at them; they're quite fine if that's your concern."

"It was thank you." Mirana sighed in contentment, "She really is quite a beautiful child, isn't she?"

"Yes, and she's certainly a Hightopp with those features."

The queen and the cat regarded each other for a minute, lost in their own thoughts about the implications of such a child.

The Champion from the Otherland and the Mad Hatter were rebuilding, even if they didn't see it in that way.

Underland was lucky to have such a pair.


End file.
